Arrest tied to K2 overdoses

Pat Pratt

Friday

Nov 9, 2018 at 6:44 PM

A man found lying unresponsive on the street was charged Friday with distributing K2, a drug linked to multiple overdose cases over the last several days.

Kenneth J. Edwards, 25, of Columbia, was found by Officer Chad Malsy on Thursday, apparently under the influence of narcotics and unresponsive, Malsy wrote in a probable cause statement filed with Boone County Circuit Court. He was charged with a single felony count of delivery of a synthetic cannabinoid. He was booked in the Boone County Jail on $3,000 bond and has no attorney listed in court records.

As paramedics were placing him on a gurney, Malsy found five small baggies of what police believe was K2 in his jacket pocket as well as $100 cash, he wrote. Edwards was seen earlier in the day at a residence known for K2 and narcotics distribution, he wrote. A court date is not set.

At least three additional K2 overdoses were reported between late Thursday and early Friday, the fourth day of a rash of incidents officials say have targeted the local homeless community.

Emergency personnel were dispatched to an apparent overdose about 11 p.m. Thursday on Worley Street and another at 8:38 a.m. Friday on Wilkes Boulevard, Columbia Fire Department assistant chief and spokesman Brad Fraizer said. Another overdose was reported about 10:30 a.m. Friday, also on Wilkes Boulevard.

The street is the location of a homeless ministry where many of the incidents have occurred nearby. The incidents add to a total estimated 15 to 20 such incidents this week.

The department on Thursday said it had sent samples of the drug to a laboratory for analysis.

Doctors in emergency rooms are dealing with several symptoms as they work to revive patients who have overdosed, said Christopher Sampson, emergency physician at University of Missouri Hospital.

"It is actually a combination of things with the patients,” Sampson said. “They often are unresponsive or very minimally responsive. That is actually followed by them becoming very agitated.”

There is no overdose reversal drug for K2, as physicians do not know exactly what the substance is that is causing the overdoses, Sampson said. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, while often referred to as synthetic marijuana, K2 is not in any way similar to or related to the cannabis plant. The drug is actually manufactured from a hodgepodge of chemicals or other drugs, which are sprayed on plant matter to produce an intense high.

“Unfortunately, for a lot of toxicology and medications that people overdose there is not a quick fix,” Sampson said. “A lot of it is just supportive care. Initially either us or EMS agencies handle the patient's breathing. Sometimes they need assistance with that. They may have to give them a bag to help them breathe.

“And then if their blood pressure is low you can give them IV fluids, but a lot of it unfortunately is just waiting for it to run its course.”

Officials warned the public Wednesday that investigators think the drug may contain fentanyl or some other extremely dangerous substance, as has been seen in other U.S. cities. Emergency responders have had the opioid-reversal Narcan on hand.

“Narcan itself is not a direct antidote for K2, the thought is they never really know what's’ in K2,” Sampson said. “Who knows what it’s mixed with or what its formulation is. There could potentially be some type narcotic mixed in it, maybe Fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is a synthetic narcotic. The nice thing about Narcan is there is not a detrimental effect in giving it to somebody.”

Sampson said K2 and similar drugs are especially dangerous because the user does not know what is actually in them.

“Like many drugs that people obtain illegally, you have no idea what the composition of that drug is,” Sampson said. “As seen last year during the outbreak in some limited areas in the Midwest where K2 was mixed with rat poison, they were finding people were having complications from that. There is no reliable way to say what’s contained in a drug you're taking in faith.”

More than a dozen overdose cases were reported on Wednesday believed linked to K2. Many of those were near the Turning Point homeless day shelter at Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church.

Pastor Brad Bryan said Thursday he believes dealers are specifically targeting the ministry’s clients due their vulnerability. The DEA in it’s 2018 drug threat assessment warned that the homeless are particularly susceptible to K2 and similar drugs.

"Synthetic cannabinoids remained available and were marketed towards young adults as well as the homeless population,” the report states. “To that end, at least one sheriff’s office in the Dallas (Field Division) reported synthetic cannabinoid abuse and addiction were a significant issue among the homeless population in the area. The Houston Field Division also indicates synthetic cannabinoids were being marketed to the homeless population.”

The biggest reason for the threat to homeless persons is the cost. It is cheap, about $20-50 for three grams of the drug, according to various online street drug reporting sites. That amount of the substance could be enough for several highs, depending on potency or chemical composition, making it attractive for cash-strapped users.

ppratt@columbiatribune.com

815-1709

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